No more 3rd(I mean 4th) seed for winning the Atlantic

[Hemingway]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

[PhoSita]

Actually, a division winner could already end up as low as 4th.  Happened to the Celts in 2010 and 2012.    Happened to the Raptors this year, actually.

The last time this rule change would have affected seeding in the East, though, was 2012.  The Celts would have been the 5th seed.  Atlanta had home court advantage in that series anyway, so it wouldn't have made a difference.


I think the rule change will matter more in the West.

[Evantime34]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

This is not good news. I think the C's will have a chance at winning the Atlantic this year since it will probably be the worst division in basketball.

[Denis998]

Finally this got done, that rule was beyond pointless.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Does it still guarantee a playoff spot though? (or did it ever?)

[PhoSita]

Does it still guarantee a playoff spot though? (or did it ever?)

Yes and yes.

[Al91]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

Source?

Regardless, this was a much needed rule change. Can't voice qualms the changing of a rule only because of it's potential to help the Cs when it was in effect.

[Hemingway]

Actually, a division winner could already end up as low as 4th. 

[dang] it! When I was writing the post I kept thinking it was 4th, but then I thought, no your just really high, I should have trusted my instincts.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

Source?

Regardless, this was a much needed rule change. Can't voice qualms the changing of a rule only because of it's potential to help the Cs when it was in effect.

I've saw it a couple of times reported since a day or so ago, it's legit. Don't have source on hand myself.

[Hemingway]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

Source?

Tom Hanks

[Al91]

Starting next season the playoff seeding will just go 1-8 based on record(and obviously conference.) Winning the division will no longer mean jack squat. Its a good rule, but it's not good for us right now. I was really liking that we could get 3rd just for beating out Toronto. For next season at least, this sucks a little.

Source?

Regardless, this was a much needed rule change. Can't voice qualms the changing of a rule only because of it's potential to help the Cs when it was in effect.

I've saw it a couple of times reported since a day or so ago, it's legit. Don't have source on hand myself.

The only reason I ask is because NBA.com and Bleacher Report are devoid of any news regarding this. The topic has been talked about for months on end without any official announcements from the NBA. Even in the mire of FA and post-draft I haven't seen one reputable NBA reporter speak on this..admittedly, FA is more attractive to talk about but still.

[Evantime34]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2015/06/26/nba-new-playoff-seeding/29299585/

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/26/nba-playoff-seeding-reform

[LHR]

Dumb rule.  The NBA regular season continues to mean less and less which is the primary issue with the NBA.  It's a six-week sport to the common sports fan.  There are no long-standing rivalries as there are in every other sport because regular season games don't mean anything therefore - local rivalries cannot be formed.

If anything, the NBA should cut down on who makes the post-season.  16 teams is just silly.  Sure, it creates more gate+TV money in April, but in the long-term, that would be made up if the games in November-March meant more than they do.

Go back to two divisions and reward teams that win their division with playoff incentives (byes, more home games, whatever.)  We'll see if guys like Pop rest their players on TNT Thursdays knowing that there are plenty of incentives at stake.

[DarkAzcura]

I'm scared the NBA is looking at this in the wrong way. I'm all for playoff seeding reform, but this seems like another step towards 1-16 seeds regardless of conference, which I don't like the idea of at all. Like LHR already cited, the regular season just becomes more and more worthless with moves like this.

In the end, I'd prefer the NBA to seed each conference 1-6, and then fill in the last 2 spots of each conference with wild cards regardless of conference (4 total wild cards). Put the "stronger" two teams into the "weaker" bracket to help increase parity within the playoffs. That helps fix the Western-Eastern conference disparity and allows teams like OKC to make the playoffs over BKN, and it doesn't make conferences entirely meaningless. It would have put Boston in the Western playoffs, which is a bit odd, but I think a wild card system would help a ton.

The wild cards would have been: 1. Dallas 2. NOP 3. OKC 4. Boston

Dallas and NOP would have been thrown into the Eastern pool. OKC and Boston into the Western. It'd be fun.

[Hemingway]

Wife: are you going to the game tomorrow?

Husband: No, atlantic division games no longer have more importance so whats the point?